CBP Used Ad-Tech Data Broker Ecosystem to Track People's Location Movements Without Warrants

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) purchased access to a commercial location data broker service that aggregates signals from the online advertising ecosystem — including mobile SDKs and bid-stream data — to silently track people's movements across the US and at the border, according to records obtained by 404 Media. The practice allowed CBP to bypass warrant requirements by purchasing data that had been collected by ad-tech intermediaries, which aggregate location signals from apps using advertising SDKs. The disclosure adds to mounting evidence that federal agencies routinely exploit the commercial surveillance ecosystem as a parallel surveillance infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

• CBP purchased access to a location data broker aggregating mobile ad-tech bid-stream and SDK location signals — used to track individuals across the US without warrants
• Legal basis: government agencies can purchase commercially available data without a warrant; the data originates from ad SDKs embedded in apps users have installed
• Reported by 404 Media with 173 HN points; part of a broader pattern of DHS/CBP location data purchases documented since 2020 by ACLU and other civil liberties groups

Original source: 404 Media